All right, guys. I am taking a hiatus from my other story to write this one, because it was a dare from one of my friends. I never back down from a dare. I've never really explored cartoon fanfic, but hey, do it for the dare, right?
I make no promises on when this will be updated. I'm thinking Fridays and Tuesdays, but don't quote me on that.
By the way, Merry Christmas (Eve)!
The bus was smelly and gross, but it was her only way home.
Cindy wrinkled her nose as an old man cracked open a bean can with his tooth. Even in the back of the bus, as far away from the other strangers as possible, the stench of unwashed undergarments and spilled fluids was strong. She made sure to keep her suitcase above the floor.
It didn't help that it was such a hot—or, well, warm—day. Cindy had grown used to colder temperatures over the past five years. No doubt the non-freezing temperatures were only ripening the aromas roaming through the bus.
She couldn't get up fast enough when the bus rolled to a stop. She shouldered her suitcase and muscled her way past the man with the bean can and a strange lady carrying a large load of coupons, arriving at the front of the bus right as the doors opened.
Cindy had barely taken her first step off of the bus before a head of black hair slammed into her in a giant hug.
"Cindy!" Libby cried. "You got so tall!"
Well, it wasn't really that big of a deal, considering that she'd been under five feet when she'd left Retroville, but Cindy still appreciated the sentiment.
"So did you!" Cindy replied with a grin, drawing back from the hug.
Libby had, indeed, grown quite a bit. Her hairstyle was still the same as it was when they were kids, but she'd ditched the pink striped shirt in favor of an unpatterned purple one underneath a black leather jacket. She also wore blue jeans and black sneakers, and house keys hung from her belt.
In contrast, Cindy was still wearing her heavy winter coat. It was too large to fit into her suitcase, so she'd worn it to the airport and through her flight. She too wore jeans, but they were lined with fur. And instead of sneakers, she wore snow boots. She would have loved to wear anything else for her trip home, but all of her clothes had been modified in some way to preserve body heat. She kept her blonde hair gathered into a tight ponytail as usual, but it was at the length where one strand would usually escape and fall onto her face. She blew it out of the way as she took in the new look of her old friend.
"Wow, Libby," Cindy said. "And you did that without my fashion advice? Five years can really change a girl."
Libby rolled her brown eyes. "Girl, please."
Before Cindy could say anything else, an older voice coughed. Immediately, she felt her posture straighten.
"Cindy, darling!" her mother exclaimed, reaching out her arms to hug her daughter.
The matriarch of the Vortex clan hadn't changed much, either. Other than the few gray hairs in her black hair, Cindy's mother looked much the same as she did before. She still wore that ridiculous purple dress, and she still had the green eyes that they shared.
Surprised, Cindy reached out to return the hug—until she realized that her mother was only reaching out to take a coupon from the strange lady behind the fifteen-year-old.
She sighed. "Nice to see you too, mother."
She should have known better than to expect a warm welcome. After all, not much can change in five years. Unless it was fashion, apparently.
Cindy adjusted her suitcase and took a few more steps onto the sidewalk, looking around as she did. Retroville looked the same as it did when she had left for the Stockholm Academy for Children with Know-How—or SACK for short. Everyone looked older, but the pie truck was still coming around the corner and the Candy Bar was still open.
"Right!" Libby said, pushing Cindy forward from behind. "Let's get going! We have a lot to do today!"
"Wha—Libby, I just got off the bus from a fifteen-hour plane ride!"
"Exactly! We're burning daylight!"
Cindy rolled her eyes.
Just like old times.
"JAMES ISAAC NEUTRON!"
Jimmy winced. What had he done this time?
A moment later, Judy Neutron appeared in the doorway of his room, her auburn hair gathered into an old fifties hairstyle. Her green and white polka-dot dress had a little bit of dust on it, and her hands were covered in yellow rubber gloves.
Judy held up a dirty plate. "How many times have I told you to clean up after yourself, young man?"
Jimmy rubbed the back of his neck, putting down his screwdriver on his desk. "Gee, sorry mom. I just got really caught up in my work, and I—"
"Oo!" his mother exclaimed. "What are you making this time? A time machine? A super magnet? An ultra-teenage-girl repellant?"
Jimmy felt a strange pang in his chest, and frowned. After an awkward moment, he shook his head. "Mom, this is just a model of the moon for my science class."
"Oh." Judy seemed to visibly deflate, mirroring the rollercoaster of Jimmy's emotions. "I forgot about your condition, honey."
Jimmy forced a smile. "It's all right, mom. I'm just…not smart anymore."
Her brows furrowed. "Oh, don't say that, honey!" She started to walk forward, probably to give him a hug, but then realized that she was covered in dust and cleaning chemicals. Instead, she frowned at him sadly. "You're still smart. Maybe not like you were, but smart all the same. Don't listen to what the kids at school tell you."
It's not them I'm worried about, he thought, then banished the notion.
Jimmy nodded. "I guess you're right, mom," he said, more to appease her than anything. "I have to get back to my project. I really need a good grade in science."
He lifted the spherical model in his hands and started to peer at it, but his mother started to speak to him again.
"All right. But when you're done with that, I need you to do your chores. I want the outside of this house to be spotless."
He barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He loved his mother, but sometimes she was an absolute clean freak. "Why does the outside of the house need to be spotless? It looks fine to me." Jimmy reached for his screwdriver.
"Oh, there's some event going on across the street," Judy replied. "It probably has something to do with Cindy Vortex coming home."
The unfinished model of the moon crashed to the floor, along with the screwdriver.
"Cindy is back?!"
Right. Please shoot me a review, somebody. I know that this section of fanfiction doesn't really get that much traffic, but I have zero self-confidence, so it would help if y'all could help me out here. Thanks!